Applications and Challenges of Adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Rwandan Construction Industry

Abstract

The adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) is essential because it facilitates project information, saves time and cost and reduces risks on construction sites. The objectives of the study were to investigate the adoption, application and challenges of IoT technologies in the Rwandan construction industry. The survey research design (open- and close-ended questionnaire) was adopted for the study. The questionnaire was administered to registered construction professionals in Rwanda. The stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the study. The data for the study was analysed using frequencies, mean scores and student t-tests. The findings of the study indicated that none of the IoT technologies was well-adopted, two were adopted, eleven were averagely adopted and twenty-two were slightly adopted. Also, IoT technologies were used for project management, efficient transportation, time management and production of site plans. The significant challenges with the adoption of IoT technologies were a lack of training centres, lack of IoT awareness, lack of expertise, poor network connectivity, a requirement for extra budget to acquire IoT technologies and poor collaboration among construction stakeholders. The study concluded that the level of adoption of IoT technologies in the Rwandan construction industry was low and there was no difference in the opinions of the respondents on the adoption and challenges of adopting IoT technologies in the construction industry. The study recommends the spread of awareness of the adoption of IoT technologies and enact laws and policies that can foster the adoption of IoT technologies in the construction industry.